Busking has always been illegal on the tube. Until recently London Underground hav taken a very dim view of people playing music in their stations. It’s only a few years since they ran a poster campaign that portrayed buskers as sinister criminals who should be avoided at all costs.
But all that has changed. They’ve decided that people like buskers and therefore buskers should be encouraged. There are details about this on their website. For a four month period they are allowing “registered” buskers at various stations on the network.
It’s interesting to note that the venture has been sponsored by Carling. I can’t help wondering how much money they have given and where the money went. There are performance areas marked out in the stations. These are semicircles of plastic covered in Carling logos and stuck to the floor. And there are posters all over the tube. The small print on these posters makes it clear that none of the money will go to the buskers themselves (they still make their money from donations from the public).
So it would be very easy to come to the conclusion that LU have only changed their mind on busking because they’ve worked out that they can make some money from it. But only a truely cynical mind would think that :)
to damn right, legalised busking is a farce. instead of man and guitar/violin/harpsichord/empty bottle, it has become man and uber expensive PA system and his ltitle band of dwarves. I cant help but spit in their tip jars and tell them to go busk somewhere illegal to restore pride to themselves…
Just to set the record straight. Carling have taken over looking after the buskers on the underground which means that we are now all able to book regular two hour pitches, we are checked on my one of a team of Carling staff who come round to check we are OK. As buskers I am not sure that we would ever expect to be paid by Carling or by LU and of course the Carling team who look after us aren’t volunteers. From my experience as one of the buskers I know that the LU staff on the whole are happy with the system because it is no longer their job to turf people out of stations – not something they enjoy bizarrely. How sad that someone wants to spit in our ‘jar’??. i am not aware of any of us buskers having dwarves although some do have PAs for necessity – personally I don’t. I rely on my LU licence and I love it – people give me great feedback. If Carling get to put up a few posters, good on ’em i say.Niki
this is a very interesting topic to look at.
i am currently a third year student (broadcasting) and i am producing a 10 minute film on the topic. i have met many buskers who love and use the scheme, then there are others who think it is unfair and makes busking loose its excitement and entertainment value.
is the carling scheme just another pr stunt, or does it really work in favour for buskers.if you have any views on this or are interested in being in this film i would be greatful if you contacted via email!
thanks!
Hi Adeel, i’m in a band which busk on the tube every weekend for the fun of it. there are three of us and we even carry drums kit around with us. We get great feedback and can often have a whole train carriage singing along. You may want to cover us in your documentary as we would be happy to appear in it. if your interested you can send us an email at joefoxinbox@hotmail.com Thanks!
Regarding the Carling Licenced Busking Scheme and Transport for London press release dated 1 July 2005 entitled “Busk8 celebrates busking on Tube and Live8. It’s quite clear that a very large majority of London Underground customers are in favour of good quality buskers.
However, the scheme has now reached saturation point with far too many buskers chasing too few viable pitches. The scheme managers have sited “fake pitches” for the newly licensed buskers to play, simply to generate further profits and advertising revenues for themselves.
The average number of playing hours for many licensed buskers has been reduced this year, not through choice, but because the scheme has now reached saturation point due to continuing auditions and the overall effect has been to devalue our skills and public appreciation. Let’s face it, the more abundant any commodity, the less value it has.
Regarding the TfL web page on Busk8 celebrates busking, having attended Buckingham Palace on 1st March 2005 by invitation of Her Majesty The Queen, I can universally confirm that no busker performed at the Palace that evening. Also, having played for the Taiwan Ambassador at County Hall, I confirm that I played a wedding in Finland last January, no busker has played for the Finish Royal Family.
Get your facts right London Underground and Tfl !
Regards,Peter Murphyhttp://www.justharp.co.uk